Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-02-09

sEstimated.
At least two lines OF railway are believed :,
be headed for the Territorial capital, one o
which Is the Roscoe extension OF the Chicago
Milwaukee and St Paul, and tho other at pres
ent an independent line projected from Aber
deem. Both lines are shown and appropri
ately defined on the diagram given herewith.
The roads completed on Jan. l, 1885; thu
Dewty-added mileage Of that year; the roadl
under construction, and the probable or pro.
posed extensions for 1887, are separately indi'
Bridges across the Missouri River at Yank.
ton, Pierre and Chamberlain are among the
assured probabilities Of an early future, every.
th ing depending in the case of the railroad
crossings ct Pierre and Chamberlain on the
opening Of the Sioux Reservation.
There are four cities in the Territory which
have the distinct lines of three railway compa-
MES. namely, Fargo, Sioux Falls, Watertown
and Aberdeen. OF these, Aberdeen and Wa
tertown have each a fourth railroad, undes
way in one case, and graded in the other.
Having regard only to the number OF
through and branch lines, ~ at present oper-
road centers are to be grouped As follows:
Aberdeen and Fargo, each, five lines; Sioux
Falls and Watertown, each, four lines: Grand
Forks, Huron. jamestown, Mitchell, Redfeld
and lAnkt0n, each, three lines. OF the latter
group, Grand Forks, Redfield and Yankton are
to be credited with two separate railroads
each.
During 1887 the construction Of lines al
ready graded will give Mitchell and Water.
tow each an additional railroad under separ-
ate management, and he building Of other
new lines aud extentions will probably do as
much, At least for Aberdeen aud Bismarck,
and may do the same for Huron, jamestown
and Pierre. Aberdeen and Bismarck are each
hopeful OF securing two new roads within the
next twelve months; WATERFOWL has nearly az
strong hopes Of a second new road; Sioux Falls
10 reaching out after another line, and there
are . number Of projected enterprises, several
Of which may take shape during the year, but
which at the present time bring up the rear OF
the immense possibilities OF Dakota for the fu-
ture.
Tho total railroad mileage Of Dakota, bear
ing date Of Dec. 81, 1886, il 8, 49l miles.
One company has 9 mileage Of over 1000
miles, namely, the Chicago, Milwaukee and
Vt Paul Railway, with l,cB miles.
THE BLACK HILLS.
The building Of the railroad 10 Rapid CITY.
coupled with the assurance of an extension OF
this line on further around and into the Hills,
and the building at an early day Of other lines
Of railway, has fairly brought the attention Of
the country to this. the richest corner Of the
kingdom, an area Of little more than GOO
square miles, and yet q world in itself, pos
sessing every variety OF mineral and other re-
cOuICCHs WHICH ~ Ntb IeIlhlu lATSEIy unOlB-
covered to the world outside.
The isolation Of the Black Hills from the
rest OF Dakota, no matter how many railroads
might be built up from the south-although,
for that matter, there is only room for a few
roads Of most, in that direction or any other,
west Of the loSd degree OF longitude--would
be fatal TO its prospects, being at the same
time within and yet without the present Terri
tory to which il would appear to be attached,
according to the map.
There Is cause for congratulation over tho
passage even Of the Dawes bill, under the cir
cumstances, although much reason for regret
ut what appears TO 10 the necessity either Of
q halfway measure Of dealing with the In
dams, in the present and for the future, or TO
take nothing instead.
FUTURE NEEDS AND PLANS.
1t il respectfully and earnestly submitted,
to begin with, that with the demand existing
abroad for reliable and complete information
respecting what are popularity classed as the
Free Home States OF The West, rs well as con-
corning oil such opportunities for the speedy
and cheap requirement of homes as arc offered
in any section Of the country, no State or Ter
ritory, situated as Dakota is, can afford to
withhold, or not TO freely dispense the same
With an open and liberal hand, so long as the
demand remains, and the market is therein
viting the healthy, active competition of west
and south, and Of Dakota with Nebraska, and
with Kansas, in the great field where the self
interest at stake is 90 happily serving the ends
Of humanity and utility.
There should be published, first, a general
pamphlet descriptive Of the whole Territory,
which would cover the common ground Of
general inquiry regarding soil, climate, pro-
auctions, etc.
This pamphlet should be well illustrated and
credible in every way, and should be accom-
panied by an excellent map.
The Territory should then be taken up by
physical and geographical divisions, and treat
cd more in detail in separate publications Of
smaller size, designed to meet such inquiries
~ might have . more direct and local applica-
ton.
Then there ought 10 be a handbook Of in
formation relating to the public lands, to be
scattered broadcast, printed in several Ian
guages, and carrying . smaller map, showing
about where the vacant lands lie.
The foreign emigration work Of the Office
has been neglected simply from necessity, AZ
elsewhere explained in this report But il
ought not to be longer allowed to languish.